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Eyes on the Horizon

Serving on the Front Lines of National Security

About The Book

General Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the critical four years following September 11, 2001, looks back over his career and provides a candid, revealing insider's view of the war on terror and proposing a bold new plan that will prepare America for the diverse national security challenges of the twenty-first century.

Growing up in Kansas as the son of hardworking, nononsense parents, General Richard Myers, a distinguished Air Force officer for more than forty years, learned early the value of steadfast integrity and selfless service. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2001 to 2005, he bore witness to the critical events that shaped America's defense policy in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In the days, weeks, and months that followed, he worked around the clock, helping to devise innovative, unprecedented strategies for the Bush administration's war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq and advising the president on tough, historic national security decisions.

In this captivating memoir, General Myers talks candidly about his career in the military, the unforgettable events of September 11, and the global war on terror. With an insider's perspective, he outlines the mistakes made by the White House, Pentagon leadership, and the intelligence community.

Myers believes that America has misidentified its adversary, focusing too narrowly on tactical battles, instead of on a long-range strategy that will overcome a global insurgency fueled by a struggle for control within Islam. The United States must rely not just on the military, but also on intelligence and other instruments of national power and work through extant governments to reverse the depiction of an American-led crusade against Muslims. Rather than identify what Islam should become, we must work with an international community that includes responsible non-Western states to protect against the behaviors we consider universally unacceptable -- especially those that promote violence against the U.S. and its allies or any other country or society affected by the struggle within Islam. Finally, Myers maintains we must integrate our own government agencies so that we can focus a sustained approach to this strategy.

Told with unfailing honesty, Eyes on the Horizon is an unforgettable memoir of one of our nation's highestranking officers and a courageous call for change that will strengthen American national security and defend a democratic way of life.

About The Author

General Richard B. Myers retird as the 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in October, 2005, after serving over 40 years in the US Air Force. A native of Kansas City, Kansas, and a 1965 graduate of Kansas State University, General Myers has held command positions at every level, including Commander of US Space Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Pacific Air Forces, US Forces Japan, and two fighter wings. A fighter pilot with over 4,100 hous, General Myers logged more than 600 combat hours during the Vietnam conflict.

General Myers now sits on several public and non-profit boards and currently lectures nationally on national security issues and leadership. He is Foundation Professor of Military Histor and Leadership at Kansas State University and holds the Colin Powell Chair of Leadership, Ethics, and Character at National Defense University. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife, Mary Jo. They have two daughters and a son, and, to his great joy, a growing number of grandchildren.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Pocket Books (March 17, 2009)
  • Length: 304 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781416560319

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